To Be Enough
by 3710rice
Summary: A little drabble/character study after I watched Sworn to the Sword. I like Connie, okay. Update: A collection of short stories and drabbles mainly focused on character development.
1. Chapter 1

**A short little drabble that came to mind after I saw Sworn to the Sword. I relate to Connie a lot. Minor spoilers.**

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The first thing Connie was surprised about being Stevonnie was how much she loved everything- especially herself. She wasn't sure what she expected fusion to be like (well, it's not like she expected to fuse at all) but she always thought it was either you become one person completely or you remain 100% separate. But that wasn't the case. She felt like herself, sure. But the nagging thoughts of not being "good enough" for anything were gone. She was happier, more confident and bubbly. She was having fun.

She could hear Steven, and she knew he could hear her. They were Stevonnie, which was still crazy weird, but it made sense in a way. It felt comfortable. When they got a good look at themselves, Connie saw someone beautiful, confident, approachable, and even powerful. And she knew that was what Steven saw in her and what she saw in Steven.

Connie had more confidence than when she first met Steven. She used to be more reclusive and never talk to anyone. But when you hang around someone that talks to everyone, you pick it up. A little, at least. And since the whole 'lion and evil soda cup' thing, she did feel like she belonged. Still, there were the occasional intrusive thoughts about how 'she didn't belong, she wasn't good enough' and 'Steven was just pretending to be her friend'.

But when Stevonnie come along, those thoughts were 100% gone. She was a fusion, which was really cool, and she loved herself in those moments. Was this how Steven felt all the time? Did he wake up in the morning and lay in bed thinking 'I'm really happy I'm who I am'? Did he look in the mirror and think 'I look awesome today'?

Probably.

She'd seen the tape Rose Quarts made for Steven. She made it clear she loved him and would love being him. So of course Steven, who was also his mom (which honestly made very little sense just saying it) would love himself. She just never understood how it would feel.

It wasn't like Connie was depressed or anything. She was happy. It's just a lot was expected of her and she wasn't a perfect daughter or friend. She was too shy and quiet and bookish. But she was polite and could talk to people okay if push came to shove. She didn't think very highly of herself, so she didn't _love_ herself. But it wasn't like she hated herself.

Stevonnie was fun. Would she do it again? Probably not.

But being a knight? That sounds amazing. Even if she wasn't as strong or important as Steven. So that's what made the lessons great. Pearl was so smart and knew everything about sword fighting. She knew that knights weren't as important as the one they protect but they could still do good. She told her what to do, and Connie liked being told what to do. It was easy. Also, Pearl didn't sugarcoat things, like anyone else would. She didn't disagree when Connie told her she felt like she would never amount to anything. She just said that if she tried she could eventually possibly do make a difference.

And that's all she needed.

But when Steven came in and explained himself, Connie felt bad. She didn't feel like she had to. She felt like she had disappointed her friend in feeling lower than him. They were jam buddies. So she let herself let that go. They could be equal, and maybe later on Connie could learn to love herself a little more.

To feel a bit more like Stevonnie.

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 **If you liked it, a fav or review would be greatly appreciated! Thank you for reading!**


	2. Chapter 2

**I thought i was done with this story but then my brain barfed out another 1000 word story based around Connie. I need to stop. I don't like this one as much though. I may just use this to collect short stories so if you like my writing, keep an eye out.**

 **oh yeah i don't own steven universe seeing as this is** ** _fan_** **fiction and not** ** _author_** **fiction. Enjoy!**

It was a calm family dinner. The Maheswarens liked to do that at least once a week, when Dr. Maheswaren wasn't working late or Mr. Maheswaren wasn't working nights. Connie liked these dinners, and she usually had something to say, whether it be she learned something new at school or she read a new book.

Recently she'd been kind of distant at these dinners. It wasn't like she could casually bring up that she's been training to sword fight with her best friend's guardian. And she was getting good at it too. Her parents did notice the ripple of muscles starting to form under her skin and how she was eating a bit healthier. Not that she was ever really unhealthy.

They casually asked one night and Connie got defensive- she was exercising a little more. It wasn't a big deal really, don't make it a big deal. Jeez, it's her life, she can do what she wants.

Her parents assumed that it was just her start into teenagerhood. She was 12, so she was approaching puberty. She was going to get a little bit moody. It was biology. They didn't have any reason to be concerned. So they let it go

Her parents didn't notice when Connie was spending more time with Steven. They (mostly) approved of him anyway. They didn't notice when one afternoon she came home with a rather large long bundle. They didn't see her hide it behind a pile of books. They certainly didn't see it was a sword that she would practice fighting positions with in the middle of the night.

They had no idea until a family dinner went bad.

Most dinners were spent at home, and this one was too. Now, the Maheswarens lived a bit outside of Beach City, so the monster attacks frequent on the beaches were less so there. They still happened sometimes, but not very much.

But one night, the family was enjoying their dinners on a picnic table set up on the lawn. Dinner was simple- fresh salad with sandwiches. The talk was minimal and so everyone sat quietly, enjoying the cool spring air.

And then a monster sprinted down the street. It was pretty big, about five feet tall, with a head resembling a bear's. It stood on two feet, and was covered from head to toe in light, velvety fluff. On one arm there was a triangular spike made from some sort of gem. It was a deep shade of blue, and the rest of the creature was lighter.

Of course when it saw the Maheswarens, it lunged for them. Jaws snapped and its long crystalline claws slashed through the air.

"Connie!" Dr. Maheswaren yelled. "Get inside!" The whole family scrambled inside the door, but Connie kept running. She ran to her room and pulled a silver scabbard from behind a pile of books. Franticly She pulled a long iron sword from it, its hilt silver with some engravings. She ran back out of her room and toward the door. Her parents were standing, watching through the window with horror at the beast destroying their picnic table.

Connie ran past them and back toward the door.

"Where are you going? There's that thing out there!" Her mom yelled.

"Is that a sword?" Her dad gaped as he looked at the thing in his daughter's hands. "Where'd you get that?!"

Connie ran out the door, ignoring their protests. She turned and faced the beast, her eyes blazing. Both hands were firmly clasped on the hilt. At this point Connie had been training 14 hours a week (plus a little more practice at home) for over three months, and she was well past the 'jam buds' fiasco. She knew what she was doing and she was pretty darn good at it.

The gem monster looked at her for a second before charging. Connie expertly rolled out of the way and made a slash at the beast's back. It turned and let out an ear piercing wail before slashing with one of its forepaws.

Connie jumped back, and the attack barely missed her. She ran forward, ducking and weaving around the attacks. Look for an opening, Pearl always said, and then strike. The monster brought down its head and bit managing to catch Connie's left arm. It wasn't bad but it still hurt. She grit her teeth and saw her moment. It pulled up its head, taking its eyes off her for less than a second. She thrust the sword forward and up, though the monster's neck.

Time seemed to freeze for a second, and then the gem beast broke into a cloud of smoke. The gem spike previously located on it's forearm dropped to the ground, and Connie was left with her sword raised, panting. Blood slowly trickled down her non-raised arm.

Her parents were in shock. Their precious daughter just fought some monster- and won. It was crazy. Connie was the type of kid who read about fighting monsters, but she would never *really* do it. Her dad got to his senses first. He ran outsde and grabbed Connie, pulling her into a hug. Dr. Maheswaren followed soon after.

"What did you just do?! You could have died!" Mr. Maheswaren cried. "Where'd you learn to fight like that?"

"Oh, you're hurt! We need to fix you up, now." Dr. Maheswaren said. "And you can never ever do that again. I don't know where you got that sword, but I'm taking it."

Connie smiled a little. "Mom! It's okay, I've been training. I won't hurt myself with it."

"Who have you been training with?" Mr. Maheswaren asked. "We need to have a stern talk with them."

Connie waited a second, debating if she should tell them the truth. Eventually, she spoke. "Do you remember Pearl?"

"One of Steven's guardians? She's teaching you to sword fight?! Is Steven being taught too?" Her mom was near frantic as she asked. Her daughter was learning to fight! Surely in this day and age one didn't need to do that.

Connie shrugged. "She's really good! And I'm pretty good at it! And Steven doesn't really use a sword. He uses his shield and together we fight as jam buddies! I'm the jam and he's the biscuit!" She giggled at the inside joke.

Her parents looked really, really confused. "Let's just get you cleaned up and then you can explain." Her mom sighed.

"Okay."

 **Hope you liked it! As I said last chapter a review or favorite is really appreciated! I loved the reviews that I've seen, I've read them like 50 times.**


	3. Chapter 3

**This one's set in the future, mostly because I just wanted to have Steven and Connie being cool. I honestly had no idea what this was going to be when I started it, I just felt like writing. As such it probably isn't that IC and it skips around a lot but I hope you like it!**

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She'd known Steven for 4 years now- he was older, and she was too. Steven had grown a lot- he was taller than his dad now, about 6'2" with no signs of stopping growing. The baby fat was gone mostly, and years of fighting alongside the gems gave him a little muscle. He wasn't buff per say, and he was still a bit chubby, but he looked strong. His youthful exuberance never faded a bit, even though he had seen his parent figures die, what, 7 times now? Of course that didn't include the cluster of times with Amethyst when he was 11. Garnet was the only one that still looked like she did when Connie began sword fighting.

Steven was still the boy she knew for so long, more or less. He himself had retreated into his gem once- boy, was that a fiasco. Peridot was still out there somewhere, but the gems knew that if they stayed out of her way, she wouldn't do anything too bad, and would leave the kindergarten alone. It was a good agreement.

Connie herself had grown a lot, though she was no-where near as tall as Steven, only about 5'6", the same height as her mom. With all the athletics she was doing, she was extremely fit. If she wasn't in school, she was doing something active or with Steven. Her favorite activity was of course sword fighting, but she still loved tennis and went swimming and running often. She was still slender, but she had matured physically somewhat. Mentally, she was much more mature.

Steven and Connie were still "just friends" though there was plenty of romantic tension. Not as much as there had been when they were both in the awkward peak of puberty. They liked being friends, and it was more fun than dating. Also, Connie wasn't allowed to date until she was 16, and she was still 5 months shy of that.

It was weird being friends with a human alien, but she had come to love the random excursions to weird places and the occasional visit at school.

The teacher nearly had a heart attack when she saw a tall boy in the yard with a pink lion. That was a year ago, in 8th grade. She mistook him for a high schooler (at that time he was 5'8 or so) and had actually almost called the police when Connie managed to stop her.

He once tried to come to class with her in 7th grade, and that was quite an experience. In art, the project was (funnily enough) to draw a picture of their family. Steven got into an argument with the teacher, who was from California and didn't know about the gems. She kept insisting that he was making it up and refused to believe that Steven's family was made up of 3 aliens, his dad, a lion and himself.

"I understand there are non-traditional families but generally there's some sort of structure! A mom, two dads, a mom and a dad. You never have 3 moms and a dad, and certainly never a lion." She had said.

Steven smiled, a plan in his brain. "Oh no, they aren't my moms, 'cause they aren't with my dad. But you know, I do have a mom."

The teacher sighed. "Fine then. Add her to this drawing and I'll leave you be."

"Oh, she's already in it!" Steven had a hard time holding himself together, and Connie had had a bit of trouble too, guessing what was happening next.

"Let me guess. The lion is your mom." The art teacher sighed.

"Nope." Steven giggled.

"Then who?"

Steven pointed his thumb at his chest. "Me!" He broke down into a fit of giggles and Connie laughed too.

"It's true miss, he's his own mom." Connie added, still laughing.

The teacher looked very, very mad (and a bit confused) and then the two found themselves in the office. Steven was banned from coming to that school ever again.

Of course, he would still sneak in anyway.

Overall the two were very happy. Connie taught Steven the things that the gems considered unneeded in his education, and Steven would help Connie get over her fear of talking to people. The two were a very good fit, as seen in their ability to fight well together. Steven would go on the defensive, and Connie would attack. They took down many gem monsters together on the weekends. A couple of times they even fought as Stevonnie.

Stevonnie never really changed, even at the two grew, which was odd. You'd think show would grow as they did. But I guess fusions don't work that way. They had become more in sync. It was never like how Garnet described fusion, where they became one person mentally, but they were really good together. Stevonnie, they found, was big enough to fight using Rose's sword and it became their weapon.

Freshman year around halloween they had the best idea ever. For halloween, they'd go as Stevonnie. Oh boy, would that be fun.

Connie's school hosted a costume party every year in the gymnasium during last period. The only reason anyone ever went was to get the pizza and candy that came with the ticket. Most people just wore normal school clothes but there were groups of people wearing costumes here and there. On the Monday before Halloween (it was on Thursday), Connie bought a ticket. It was only two dollars, so her mom was happy to fund it.

On Thursday after 5th period, Connie and Steven met inside the track. Steven was obviously excited, but pretended to be calm. They talked for a little before Steven pulled out his phone and put on music. The two danced to a calm, cheerful melody, laughing as Steven would stumble. He wasn't a really good dancer, but they enjoyed themselves anyway.

Eventually, the two phased into each other, becoming Stevonnie. They stumbled a minute, getting used to the new body. A smile broke across their face.

"Ready?"

They nodded, walking towards the school, bare feet pressing down the grass. A few seniors were leaning against the wall, talking. When they saw Stevonnie, they stopped and gaped for a second. When Stevonnie went up the steps to the school, they heard voices behind them.

"Dude! That chick was incredible!"

"Is she in our year?"

The door shut behind them and they made their way through the twists and turns of the school to the gymnasium. A sophomore stood at the door taking tickets. Connie vaguely thought that he was probably a student council member that drew the short straw.

When it was their turn to get inside, he too looked slightly stunned while taking their ticket and stamping their hand. Connie could feel that Steven was having fun already. They went inside, their tall stature demanding attention. Most of the gym was split into groups of friends.

Connie found her friends. She had told them she wasn't coming, meaning to surprise them.

"Over there." She uttered and they walked over to Connie's friends, who sat on the bleachers.

"Hello." The group of young teens looked nervous, as that was clearly an upperclassman talking to them. "Can I sit with you guys? I don't have many friends here."

Stunned, one of them scooted over. "Here. I'm Annie." She nervously fiddled with her hair.

"Great!" Stevonnie smiled. "I'm Stevonnie. Nice to meet you." Steven wasn't very good with keeping jokes going but they managed to stop from laughing. They talked with Connie's friends for quite a while. They were perplexed as to why Stevonnie kept talking to them. Surely they would talk to people more their age?

Annie was the closest, and she was the first to notice one odd thing about Stevonnie. They looked oddly... familiar. Like they were someone she knew. She mentioned this.

Stevonnie broke into a wide smile. "Sorry guys. It was nice talking, but we have to go." They pulled themselves off the bleachers and did something the other kids could never forget. They began to glow, and broke into two people. When the glowing faded, Stevonnie was gone and in their place was the quiet member of the group, Connie, and her friend she left school with once.

They were all extremely confused, a little weirded out, and so there was silence, except for Steven and Connie who were laughing extremely hard at the teens.

Eventually one spoke up and broke the silence. "Connie! What the heck was that?"

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 **As I said in the previous chapters, if you like it reviews and favorites are really really appreciated!**


	4. Chapter 4

**Sorry this is so short. It's just based on something I saw a while back about why Steven sang a lot. I've got a couple more ideas but they aren't about Connie, I should have them posted in the next week or so.**

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Singing seemed to be a big thing for Steven. When Connie first met him, she was a little confused about that. The second time they hung out (after they were trapped in a bubble) Steven sang some short songs about whatever they were doing. He even sang one about rocks on the beach, making jokes about him and the gems. It didn't make much sense to her, but it was just something Steven did. He sang.

When she met his dad, she finally got it. His dad was an ex-musician, so of course he would sing a lot to Steven while he was young. It made sense. She heard him casually singing beneath his breath while he would wash cars. Steven must've picked up the habit of singing, and based on what she'd heard of his childhood, he didn't interact with people a lot, so he never realized it wasn't a common thing.

In Steven's life, it seemed that everyone sang. The gems would occasionally sing a verse or two, even Garnet (who, to Connie, didn't seem like the singing type). Not often, but sometimes. She never really felt like asking about it, but it was mostly cleared up when Steven mentioned that they didn't really interact with humans before Greg, and later, him. She assumed that they did the same thing Steven did- assumed it was normal and picked it up.

And then Connie began to sing at random. She wasn't a really good singer (in her eyes, at least) but when your only friend, his dad and his guardians sing, you start doing it too. She wasn't really good at making up things on the spot, but she got better. She would hum a bit and sing under her breath when doing homework or reading or especially playing her violin.

This was the one thing she got from being around Steven that her parents actively encouraged. They told her her voice was lovely and she should sing more. It was a thing a lot of parents do, but seeing as how controlling her parents could be, this was huge. It wasn't like they didn't love her, they were just strict. They encouraged her to do what she loved (provided it was safe). When she began singing around the house, they were glad she was doing something not harmful, especially after they discovered her sword fighting.

Once she came home and her dad was (rather badly) singing about doing the dishes. He never sang before, except when she was little and he would do lullabies.

Singing wasn't contagious, right?

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 **Connie is a really good character to make observations on the gems with because she has met them multiple times and it fits her character well imo**

 **As always, reviews and favorites are really appreciated!**


	5. Chapter 5

**Hey! I want to thank all the people for sticking with me, I really appreciate it and it motivates me to write a lot. This is a drabble, edging on short story that I wrote last night and finished today. It isn't about Connie but I find Pearl's relationship with Steven really cool and I wanted to write about that. I hope you like it!**

Pearl wanted Rose back. She wanted Rose back so, so bad. And now she had the chance to get her back. Sitting in her hands was a Time Gem. It was like The Hourglass, in a way. However, it only had the power to change one event. One event, in all time. Then only she would remember what had been.

She could make it so Rose never went to that dumb concert. She could make Greg stay with Marty. Then things could stay the same. She and Rose, they could have a chance. Rose could learn to love her like Pearl knew she could. No more "I like you, Pearl, but I don't think we'd be a good fit."

Love.

Things would be the same. If Rose never met Greg, then Lapis would never escape, which meant no Malachite. Then when Peridot and Jasper came down to Earth, the amazing general Rose Quarts would be by her side and they could beat them easily. Probably. It was Rose, she'd think something up.

Amethyst would remain that cute, childlike gem forever, never needing to grow up. Her mother figure would never die.

Garnet would be more open. She would be happy and willing to goof off a little more. Sure, she was doing that now, but she would never have become stoic in the first place.

It would be just them, the Crystal Gems, protecting humanity, like it used to be. Like it was supposed to be.

But Pearl hesitated. She tried to bury her doubts. Everything would be better. They'd be happier. She'd be happier. She knew what held her back. Back from using the gem and fixing everything.

Steven. She didn't want to admit it to herself sometimes, but she lowed Steven. He was more than just the vessel that held Rose Quart's gem. He was sweet and funny, and cheered everyone up. She had an odd urge to protect him and teach him. It felt like something she almost had to do. She'd read the parenting novels when Steven was born. Even if she wasn't raising him, she wanted to keep the gem safe. Unfortunately, it was trapped in an organic being. That was her thought process at the time. The novels didn't mention anything about forming connections to the child, so she assumed it wouldn't happen. She just had to keep it safe until the organic body broke down, and Rose would be back. Easy enough.

11 years after the birth, Steven came to live with the Gems. She was surprised at how nice he was, how he cared for everything as if it was his own flesh and blood. His enthusiasm never wavered, despite the coldness the gems gave him at first. Amethyst warmed up to him quick, and Garnet seemed fond of him after three or four weeks.

Pearl refused to let herself become attached to Steven. He was just a vessel, and in 80 years he'd be gone. A blink of the eye. Keep the gem safe for that long and bam, Rose comes back. But Pearl was, unfortunately for her, easily influenced by her emotions.

She would see him playing with Amethyst, smiling and laughing as they chased each other. She had to admit, Amethyst hadn't looked this happy since Rose was still around. Garnet would occasionally play along with his jokes.

Pearl had noticed that Steven didn't eat a lot of vegetables- didn't early man eat those a lot? Were they important? She felt an emotion bubble in her stomach. She was worried for him. One day she stepped out, finding a book on human nutrition.

Before she knew it, she was back home cooking. She'd never done it before (the idea of eating was just so *gross*) but it seemed simple enough. Soon enough she had food that seemed good for Steven. Particularly enjoyable for Pearl was placing it on the dishes. She smiled at the neatly prepared plate of chicken and salad. She knew Steven would love it.

As soon as she gave it to him, she felt disgusted with herself. She was starting to feel love towards him- that was not okay. It was what she had promised herself she would never do. She retreated to her room in silence, pretending not to hear Steven's call of thanks, pushing down the joy the words brought her.

But Pearl found it much harder to stop loving Steven once she started. She couldn't stop herself from looking at him and feeling happy. She couldn't stop herself when she made the mistake of checking on him when he was sleeping. He looked so peaceful and calm, and she before she knew it, it was morning. She had watched him for over 5 hours. The next night she did the same thing, and every night after.

Eventually she stopped denying her feelings. She loved Steven. Not exactly how she loved Rose, but kind of like how she used to love Amethyst. Like they were small and to be protected. Of course, Amethyst proved herself as not needing protection. Steven would likely never stop needing protection, in her eyes.

And now, many months after Steven came to live with the Gems, Pearl had the choice to get rid of him. She could reverse all the pain she felt. All the pain any of them felt. All she had to do was get rid of Steven. It was easy.

Tears filled her eyes and she blinked them away. She was going to fix this, no matter what. She raised her hands to the gem, ready to activate it. Then the tears came back, and she couldn't handle it. She created a bubble around the Time Gem and teleported it away.

She cried a little. She could've had Rose back.

But that would mean losing Steven, and that was the one thing she couldn't risk.

 **I feel like it's a bit sad and I wasn't trying for that when I started but stuff happens I guess. Reviews and favorites are really appreciated!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Sorry this took me so long! Inspiration is a fickle thing. Also I don't really like this chapter as much as some of the other ones because I just wrote it at 11 at night after realizing that i should update this.**

 **Anyway, even if I don't like it, I hope you do!**

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Homeworld was not a good place if you didn't fit in. If you were your everyday, normal gem it was fine. You do the job you were made for. Simple. But if you were different, even by a small bit, you stuck out like a sore thumb. That was the way of life. When gems were created, they were assigned a rank based on your power level. The more powerful gems got trained and assigned good jobs, often living comfortable. They were 'A' class gems.

Most gems worked among their own kind. Pearls were servants, Peridots were engineers, to name the most common. They were all 'B' class. Most middle class gems weren't taught about summoning weapons or fusing or anything like that. If it wasn't necessary to do their job, it wasn't taught. But if the gems figured it out themselves, it was okay.

And then, the absolute lowest class of gems were titled defects, though formally they were 'C' class. They were gems with something wrong with them. Stuff like extra limbs or wrong temperament or oddly shaped gems. They were absolutely prohibited from being taught or even trying to use their weapons. They still did the jobs as they should, but they never moved up from the simplest position. If even one shred of disobedience was seen, their gems were crushed.

The problem with Ruby and Sapphire pair #327 were that they both fell in that last category. When they were made, the machine malfunctioned when they were made. Since Rubies and Sapphires were made in pairs, they were both affected.

Sapphire #327 had only one eye, and her Ruby had too strong of emotions. Not that gems should be soulless, but this gem was over the top. The only one able to calm her was her Sapphire. It was an issue, but eventually they were put to work.

Rubies and Sapphires were scout gems. The Ruby was strong and could protect their Sapphire as they swiftly mapped the area. As such, gem pairs would have some sort of connection. They were like work friends. Unfortunately, this led to the biggest issue of all- pair #327 loved each other deeply and genuinely. They would talk and laugh with each other, making up nicknames and even sometimes kissing. Gems fell in love, but defects should never, under any circumstances, fall in love. Especially not with their work partner.

So when the two were found dancing, they were set up to be crushed as soon as possible. After all, dancing led to fusion. Fusion should never be done by defects.

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The two sat in cells. They were kept separate by a mesh cage, but the touched hands through the bars. Ruby was steps away from freaking out and heating up, but Sapphire was speaking calm words. She told stories from primitive civilizations. Tears streamed down their faces.

"Saph?" Ruby interrupted. "What will happen?"

Sapphire's hand cooled a little. "There are a couple other paths that can be taken. But most likely, our gems will be crushed. I'm sorry Ruby."

"I love you." Ruby gave a weak smile at her Sapphire.

"I love you too." Sapphire responded.

The door at the end of the hall opened. Across the isle, a Pearl in a similar cage jumped. This was it.

Instead of the heavy footsteps of an Onyx, as they expected, they heard light footsteps. A large gem, most likely A class, stepped into view. She stopped at Sapphire first.

"I'm Rose Quarts. You're a Sapphire, right?" When Sapphire nodded, she continued. "I'm going to scout out a planet for kindergarten, and I figured you guys deserved a chance. Do you want to come with me?"

Sapphire opened her mouth and then closed it, glancing at Ruby. "Will Ruby be able to come too?"

Rose Quarts looked a little surprised at first but then smiled. "Of course! You, her and any other gems here today are being given the same offer."

Sapphire nodded. "Then yes. We will go."

Ruby smiled as Rose opened both of their cells. Ruby pulled her Sapphire into a hug. They were going to live!

"Wait outside while I talk to the others." Rose waved her hand at the door. "They won't bother you. White Diamond owes me a favor."

The smaller gems rushed outside, standing in the blank room just beyond the door. A minute or two later, Rose returned, followed by a Pearl.

"It seems I picked a bad day. There's only three of you here today, not nearly enough for my expedition. Anyway, I expect you three to get along until the expedition starts. Okay?"

All three gems nodded and shook hands.

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The weeks that followed were the best of their lives. Rose, as it turned out, was extremely high in status. She gave each gem a room and began to teach the trio about summoning weapons, which no one was able to do. They were encouraged to socialize and soon, they were all very close. Rose cared about all of them, something they had never felt before.

Slowly, the numbers began to grow. Soon there were enough people for the expedition to start. All the gems knew each other, but none were as close as Ruby, Pearl, Sapphire and Rose.

As the final day arrived, they waited for the ship to come.

They were going to a new world. And they were doing it together.

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 **So yeah, there we go. Plot holes galore. If you liked it, a fav or review would be really appreciated!**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey! This is a weird sort of AU that I based slightly on a dream. I wrote it when I was mega tired and didn't edit it, I just needed to get it out and on to paper. So quality wise it's on the lower side. Sorry about the lack of stories about Connie, I'll probably return to those when we see more of her in episodes. Inspiration is a weird thing.**

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The gems have lived on earth for a very, very long time. It was sort of an oasis for gemkind. A break from the strictness of homeworld, or the dreary atmosphere of the kindergartens. Sure, they had tried to seed it when it was first found, but Rose Quarts was able to compromise.

She turned the planet into a training/resort planet. When young gems were made, they would be shipped in from their birthplace to be trained. They would be taught by a selection of tutors, chosen by Rose Quarts herself. There were 6 tutors most of the time. The planet was overseen by Rose and Yellow Diamond. Rose interacted with the trainees more, while Yellow made sure that everything followed homeworld laws.

On the exact other side of the globe, it was a resort. Gem structures were common, and it was the place gems went if they had a decade or two off. It was never as popular as some of the other planets used as resorts, and wasn't given much care.

The humans lived peacefully with the gems. To most, they were seen as lower beings, but they did make good food for the gems that ate. Humans still roamed the earth, and it was not uncommon for gems to allow a few of the better-known humans to sit in on lessons. Not that they could ever do anything being taught. It just amused the humans, for some reason.

Everything ran smoothly.

Then one day, Rose vanished. Yellow wasn't that concerned, really. Rose would sometimes leave without telling anyone for a couple years. To gems, that was nothing.

Unbeknownst to her, Rose had a much closer relationship than most gems toward humans. She would fall in love with them and sometimes, if needed, move with them. Just for a little while. Not long enough for anyone to know. On homeworld, it would be scandalous for such a high ranking gem to interact with lower beings.

The only gems that knew of this were three of her closet friends, who tutored on Earth. They were named Garnet, Amethyst and Pearl.

The four were very close, and while at first the trio were concerned to find out about their leader's relationships, they eventually were okay with it. Humans were very interesting creatures, after all.

This brings me back to the fact that Rose disappeared. This was not like the other times. This time, rose was pregnant. She had found a human she loved like none other, named Greg, and together they decided to have a child. It was not until Rose was mere weeks away from delivering the child when she discovered her mistake. The child could not generate his own gem, nor could he live without one. Therefore, once born, he would take hers.

Rose was devastated. She knew she would have to raise the baby in secret, but now she couldn't even raise her son. Now what would she do? Homeworld would surely take him away and experiment on him. She had prepared for that, but now she couldn't keep her baby safe when he was too young to fend for himself. Her friends begged her to get rid of the baby, but she couldn't. She loved her unborn child.

When the baby was born, she left instructions for Greg and the trio of gems. If he looked human, Greg was to raise him until he was a decade old, and could begin to harness his gem power. Then he was to be given to the gems, who would train him. If he looked like a gem, raise him in secret, keeping him away from the world.

Thankfully, when the baby was born, he looked human (aside from the rock in place of his belly button). He was named Steven, and lived with his father. He went to live with the gems in a hidden temple when he was 10. By the time he was 12, he had a grip on most of his abilities.

The gems decided he could sit in on some of their lessons one day.

* * *

"I'm so excited!" Steven chirped, following the gems down onto the beach. He was instructed to cut off and come a little bit after them from another path. They didn't want anyone getting suspicious.

"Alright Steven, remember, you don't know us. You're just a human that stumbled down here and decided to watch, if anyone asks you." Pearl nervously said.

Amethyst smiled at the boy. "You'll learn a lot! It'll be fun, Steven." She was leading the group.

The tallest gem, Garnet, stopped. "Steven, head down along this path." She gestured to a slightly hidden side path that split through grass. It was a more indirect path to the beach. Steven nodded and darted through the plants. "He'll be okay. That's most likely, anyway." Garnet continued walking.

"Real reassuring, G. We're only doing this cause he needs to see fighting styles besides ours for some reason. Really, why?" Amethyst said with a hint of protectiveness in her voice.

"If he sees others, he can invent his own better. Or something." Pearl responded. "I don't get it either, but Garnet insisted."

"We all have offensive weapons. He needs to see how to use more defensive weapons, like Jasper's, or Lapis's." Garnet clarified. The path they were on broke out to a wide beach. Steven was still nowhere to be seen, thank goodness. They didn't want other gems talking to him before someone could drag them away.

A dozen or so young gems sat scattered in the sand, talking among themselves. The other tutors, Jasper, Lapis Lazuli, and Peridot were standing on a platform. Another gem stood among them.

Pearl paled and Amethyst clenched her fists. Yellow Diamond wasn't supposed to be here! She rarely ever came to oversee lessons. Just their luck, she had to come today. Yellow was always so much less tolerant of humans, and without Rose to stop her, she could easily hurt Steven. She appeared to notice them and walked calmly over.

"Good morning. Still no sign of Rose Quarts?" Yellow paused while the three shook their heads. "It's been almost 12 and a half years since she disappeared. She's usually back by now. You three were the closest to her, are you certain she didn't tell you where she was going?" Again, the gems shook their heads. "Such a shame. She worked so hard to protect the humans of this planet, and now she turns her back on them."

At that moment, Steven burst through the brush on one end of the clearing. He nervously looked around before setting himself on a boulder. At this moment, Garnet wished she had telepathy, so she could tell Steven to leave. But she didn't, so she couldn't.

Yellow noticed his entrance too. "Speak of the devil, as the humans say. I'll go rid us of it."

A tight knot formed in their stomachs. Amethyst was the first to speak up. "Oh, no, it's fine. They come all the time." She hoped her nervousness didn't show through to her voice.

"It's no trouble." Yellow said darkly as she approached Steven. "In fact, it'd be a pleasure.

Steven nervously shifted as the huge gem neared him. He recited his cover story inside his head. This gem was scary. Garnet was big, but even she seemed small compared to Yellow. "Uh, hi?" He said nervously. "I was just watching."

"Leave." Yellow said. She picked Steven up when he didn't move immediately and tossed him across the sand, toward the brush he emerged from. He hardly had time to think when Yellow kicked at him seconds later. He found himself a couple feet up in the air and glimpsed Garnet, Amethyst, and Pearl running towards them. Instinctively, he shut his eyes. He felt his gem begin to glow. _Bad time,_ he thought, _really bad time._

When he landed, he was cushioned by his bubble. He heard shouts coming from his guardians and gasps coming from others. He looked up and saw Yellow with a horrified expression on her face.

"Rose?" She gasped in a horrified way.

Steven ran as fast as he could off the beach, crying out in fear

 _They're going to kill me._

* * *

 **God, plot is not my thing. If you liked it, please please please give me a review or a favorite. It really encourages me to write!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Hey! Sorry it took so long, for your patience I have written not one, not two but three different drabbles about characters for you today. In order, we have Garnet, Stevonnie/Connie and Peridot. I hope you like it, and if you do, a review/fav is always appreciated.**

* * *

Garnet was herself. Undeniably, completely, herself. She was close and calm and inside she felt the warmth coming from the small lovers she was made from. Ruby and Sapphire were near constantly happy. They didn't want to be anywhere if they couldn't be there together. Similarly, they were never happier then when they were together.

When they first thought about fusing, it was unheard of for two gems to remain fused. Fusion was seen as a tactic, or between two hems in love, an occasional thing. It was deeply personal and two gems being fused for a non-battle situation was highly shameful. It was something often kept in the safety of homes.

But Ruby and Sapphire were closer then most gems, and they couldn't care less about the social customs. Sapphire wasn't even sure of half of them, and Ruby knew even fewer. Sure, they knew it was generally frowned upon, but so was talking to gems below your class and everyone did that.

When they first fused, it was on Earth. It was magical, and there was no other gems to tell them off. Rose didn't care (in fact, she seemed pleased when they fused) and the other gems got used to it. Pearl was more supportive than the other gems, maybe even Rose. Garnet later theorized that she felt like a third wheel and when Garnet was around, she wasn't with two lovers, she was with her best friend. Being Garnet made them feel together in a way they couldn't before. They were balanced. She were Garnet.

The one time they had to return to homework, however, was the worst time of her life. At that point she had been fused full-time for about ten, fifteen years. They were still getting used to it, and she had begun to refer to herself singularly about half of the time. On earth, she felt at home. On homeworld (an ironic name, to Garnet), she was singled out, whispered at and generally seen as a freak. They had never felt more alone.

When Steven came along, it was almost a fresh start a chance to be seen as one gem and not a freak fusion of two. She knew she had to tell him sometime, but what's ten years?

* * *

That was so incredibly weird. She just became one with her best friend. She just experienced something that no other human had, to the best of her knowledge. She just fused with a crystal , so Steven wasn't a full gem, but still.

She had just gotten back from the rave and only minutes ago Garnet brought her home. She must've been pleased, because she just ran her home as opposed to leaving the honor to Greg, who would usually drive her home. Connie wasn't sure why, but she seemed to have won the respect of a least one gem.

Her mom had lectured her for being late (only by half an hour or so, but she was very strict on the 10:00 curfew). Thankfully this was the first time she had been late, and her mom let her off with a warning and sent her to bed.

And here she was, left to think about how surreal of an experience she had just felt. At the time, it felt perfectly natural, like a thing that could happen any day. Now, as she looked back, it was so incredibly weird. She was seeing and hearing everything, but most of the time, she wasn't really there. She couldn't describe how it felt. She was herself, yet she was also Stevonnie. Sometimes she was in control, but often it was so simple to relinquish control to Steven or the entity they had formed.

Her phone beeped, knocking her out of her train of thought.

She opened it up, and the message was from Steven.

 _thought u might want these. ur great and i had so much fun tonight!_ Attached to the text were a couple of images. Selfies they had taken just before they ran in and showed the gems. In all of them, Stevonnie had a huge smile. Her phone's screen wasn't very good, so she sent the photos to her email.

She stared for a moment when she heard a knock at her bedroom door. She shut her phone quickly. "Come in!

Dr. Maheshwaren opened the door. "Oh, good, you're ready for bed." She came in and sat next to Connie on her bed. "Did you have fun at Steven's tonight?"

Connie nodded. "Yeah."

"What'd you do?"

"Y'know, we hung out."

"And what'd you do when you hung out?"

Connie grasped for an answer that didn't include fusing with her best friend. "We played a board game."

"What board game?"

"Geez mom, let me go to sleep! It's almost 11 and I'm tired." To add on to her point, she yawned.

"Alright them. Goodnight. I love you." Connie's mom wrapped her in a hug and walked out, turning off the light as she went.

Connie laid back in her bed. She had a lot to think about.

* * *

Peridot was a good worker. She was the best at what she did. It wasn't her fault Yellow Diamond didn't see that. She was the newest model, only 50 years old. So when she got stranded on earth, it was awful. She didn't know much yet, but she new she was different than the other Peridots. Normally, that would be a defect but really, she could hide it well enough that no-one noticed. Plus, it was helpful to her wasn't like one of those gems with too many arms or something.

She was just a little more efficient and a little less mechanical. So what if the second part wasn't as good for Peridots? She would do fine as long as everything was according to protocol. And for the first 4 missions she went on, it was. Then she was doing so well she was assigned to a long abandoned planet. The last records of gems being on that planet was over 6000 years ago. After an initial red eye probe didn't return, she was sent to check on it.

After determining that the war pads were indeed compromised, she assumed that they would switch in a higher-ranking gem to deal with that planet. But beaus she was 'just a peridot' they kept her on the project.

And from there, everything spiraled out of control. She became stuck on a worthless, lame planet with a bunch of traitor that wasn't the worst part.

The worst par was how with every passing day, she felt something growing inside her. It was impossible to describe, but it came from her gem, she thought. It affected her thinking, pushing her into situations, making her do things that definitely were not part of protocol. It burned her to know what she was doing- no, what her defect was making her do. She tried to control herself, like she did on homeworld, but earth was so much more random and unpredictable.

She caught herself picking things up from the Steven. Little, immature things. She laughed more. And whenever she saw the gems, she couldn't get away without uttering 'clod' at lest once.

She later learned the name for that defect in particular.

It was called 'personality' and it was high undesirable among Peridots.


End file.
